Barber&#39;s Comb and Scoop

ABSTRACT

A comb and scoop used by barbers and salons includes a comb portion for styling and cutting hair and a handle portion including a scoop configured to reach into a hair product container to reach the hair product. Hair product is provided in metal, plastic or glass jars or other containers. It is difficult to reach the hair product in the bottom of the container, especially around the bottom edge. Barbers continually use combs during cutting and might use the comb handle to reach the remaining hair product, but known comb handles are not shaped to reach into the corners. The handle portion has a straight handle end with rounded corners to remove the hair product on the container bottom and into bottom corners of the container.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/528,974 filed Jul. 6, 2017, which application is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to barber shop tools and in particular to a tool having a comb at one end and a scoop at an opposite end.

Barbers and salons use a variety of hair products to provide a desired appearance to customer's hair. The hair products are contained in metal, plastic or glass jars or other containers and it is often difficult to reach product in the bottom corners of the containers. Barbers and salons also continually use combs for styling and cutting the customer's hair and the combs are often used with the hair products. Barbers may attempt to reach the hair product with the comb handle, but known comb handles are not shaped to reach the hair product in the bottom corners of the containers.

Further, various hair products are used in a single session. If a barber scoops the hair products using a finger or single tool to reach the various hair products, cross-contamination may result defeating the purpose of the hair products.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a comb and scoop includes a comb portion for styling and cutting hair and a handle portion including a scoop configured to reach into a hair product container to reach the hair product. Hair product is provided in metal, plastic or glass jars or other containers. It is difficult to reach the hair product in the bottom of the container, especially around the bottom edge. Barbers and salons continually use combs during cutting and might use the comb handle to reach the remaining hair product, but known comb handles are not shaped to reach into the corners. The handle portion has a straight handle end with rounded corners to remove the hair product on the container bottom and into bottom corners of the container.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a comb and scoop having a slightly recessed pocket. The pocket captures hair product but does not interfere with holding the handle while using the comb.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a comb and scoop having a scoop/handle having a straight handle end to remove the hair product on the container bottom and rounded corners to reach into bottom corners of the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1A shows a top and right side perspective view of a comb and scoop according to the present invention.

FIG. 1B shows a bottom and left side perspective view of the comb and scoop according to the present invention.

FIG. 2A shows a top view of the comb and scoop according to the present invention.

FIG. 2B shows a left side view of the comb and scoop according to the present invention.

FIG. 2C shows a right side view of the comb and scoop according to the present invention.

FIG. 2D shows a bottom view of the comb and scoop according to the present invention.

FIG. 2E shows an end view of a comb portion of the comb and scoop according to the present invention.

FIG. 2F shows an end view of a handle portion of the comb and scoop according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the comb and scoop according to the present invention taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 4A shows a top and right side perspective view of a second embodiment of the comb and scoop according to the present invention.

FIG. 4B shows a bottom and left side perspective view of the second embodiment of the comb and scoop according to the present invention.

FIG. 5A shows a top and right side perspective view of a third embodiment of the comb and scoop according to the present invention.

FIG. 5B shows a bottom and left side perspective view of the third embodiment of the comb and scoop according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the third embodiment of the comb and scoop according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the third embodiment of the comb and scoop according to the present invention taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.

Where the terms “about” or “generally” are associated with an element of the invention, it is intended to describe a feature's appearance to the human eye or human perception, and not a precise measurement.

A top and right side perspective view of a comb and scoop 10 according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1A and a bottom and left side perspective view of the comb and scoop 10 is shown in FIG. 1B. The comb and scoop 10 includes a comb portion 12 and a handle portion 14. The comb portion may be any type of comb used by a barber. The handle portion 14 includes a recessed pocket 16 for collecting hair product from a metal, plastic or glass jars or other container.

A top view of the comb and scoop 10 is shown in FIG. 2A, a left side view of the comb and scoop 10 is shown in FIG. 2B, a right side view of the comb and scoop 10 is shown in FIG. 2C, bottom view of the comb and scoop 10 is shown in FIG. 2D, a comb end view of the comb and scoop 10 is shown in FIG. 2E, and a handle end view of the comb and scoop 10 is shown in FIG. 2F. The handle portion 14 includes a straight handle end 20 and rounded corners 22. The pocket 16 is proximal to the handle end 20 and is separated from the handle end 20 and handle sides 26 by pocket edges 24 having about the same width at the end and sides. The pocket 16 creates a handle thickness T of about 0.27 inches plus or minus 20 percent to not interfere with holding the handle 14, a width w of 0.83 inches plus or minus 20 percent and a length L of 1.65 inches plus or minus 20 percent. The edges 24 are about 3/16 inches wide. The handle end 20 further includes rounded corners 22 having a radius R. The radius R is about ⅛ inches.

A cross-sectional view of the comb and scoop 10 taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2A is shown in FIG. 3. The pocket 18 has a sloping floor 18 sloping deeper away from the handle end 20. The pocket 16 tapers from a depth D1 of 0.12 inches plus or minus 20 percent at a shallow end proximal to the handle end 20 to a depth D2 of 0.175 inches plus or minus 20 percent opposite the shallow end.

A top and right side perspective view of a second embodiment of the comb and scoop 10 a is shown in FIG. 4A, and a bottom and left side perspective view of the comb and scoop 10 a is shown in FIG. 10B. The comb and scoop 10 a is similar to the comb and scoop 10, except the pocket 16 a has a uniform depth D of 0.175 inches plus or minus 20 percent of does not have a sloping floor.

A top and right side perspective view of a third embodiment of the comb and scoop 10 b is shown in FIG. 5A and a bottom and left side perspective view of the comb and scoop 10 b is shown in FIG. 5B. The comb and scoop 10 b is similar to the comb and scoop 10, except the pocket 16 b is elliptical.

A side view of the third embodiment of the comb and scoop 10 b is shown in FIG. 6 and a cross-sectional view of the comb and scoop 10 b taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6 is shown in FIG. 7. The comb and scoop 10 b has a depth D2 of 0.2 inches plus or minus 20 percent, a length L of 1.875 inches plus or minus 20 percent and a width W2 of 0.9 inches plus or minus 20 percent. An outer end 30 a of the pocket 16 b is shallower than an inner end 30 a.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims. 

1. A comb and scoop comprising: a comb portion; a handle portion opposite to the comb portion; a handle end of the handle portion; and a shallow pocket in the handle portion residing next to the handle end.
 2. The comb and scoop of claim 1, wherein the shallow pocket is generally rectangular with uniform depth.
 3. The comb and scoop of claim 2, wherein the uniform depth is about 0.175 inches.
 4. The comb and scoop of claim 1, wherein the shallow pocket is generally rectangular with a tapered floor.
 5. The comb and scoop of claim 4, wherein the tapered floor has a shallow depth of about 0.12 inches at a shallow end proximal to the handle end 20 and a second depth D2 of 0.175 inches opposite to the shallow end.
 6. The comb and scoop of claim 1, wherein the shallow pocket is rounded.
 7. The comb and scoop of claim 6, wherein the shallow pocket has a length of about 1.875 inches and a width W2 of about 0.9 inches.
 8. The comb and scoop of claim 7, wherein the shallow pocket has a depth of about 0.2 inches.
 9. The comb and scoop of claim 6, wherein an outer end of the shallow pocket proximal to the handle end is shallower than an inner end opposite to the outer end.
 10. A comb and scoop comprising: a comb portion; a handle portion opposite to the comb portion; a handle end of the handle portion opposite to the com p portion; and a shallow pocket in the handle portion residing next to the handle end, the shallow pocket comprising: a length of 1.875 inches; a width of 0.9 inches; and a tapered floor having a first depth of 0.12 inches at a shallow end proximal to the handle end and a second depth of 0.175 inches opposite to the shallow end.
 11. A comb and scoop comprising: a comb portion; a handle portion opposite to the comb portion; a handle end of the handle portion opposite to the com p portion; and an elliptical shallow pocket in the handle portion residing next to the handle end, the elliptical shallow pocket comprising: a length of 1.875 inches; a width of 0.9 inches; a depth of about 0.2 inches. an outer end of the shallow pocket proximal to the handle end is shallower than an inner end opposite to the outer end. 